Proof that Tony Stark has a Heart

Chapter

I stood, fixed as a statue on Markus' right, as his various contacts and spies—Strigoi, magical beings, and even humans—came inside the library to fill him in with the latest information. Some came to bring him gifts of all imaginable—diamonds, gold, jewels, and other kinds of treasure designed to assuage gods. They all wanted Markus' favor and alliance, which surprised me when I first learned of these meetings. As a wizard, I thought it was impossible to organize Strigoi to work together because of their nature, but I was wrong. Given the right conditions, rewards, and leaders, they can do whatever Markus wants.

And I was quickly learning.

If I paid attention, I would hear about their discussion about attacking an estate in Moscow owned by the extended royal family of Romanov. Markus wanted more hunters to be awakened and recruited to his army since they were already trained and knew inside information, like what they had done to me. I can't feel any regret because this is what I was supposed to be. I can and will kill any magical being, hunter, or human who is foolish enough to get in my way.

Markus was conferring with a group of humans close to the Greengrass family he was targeting and was willing to set them up and betray them—in exchange for immortality. Humans were more despicable than Strigoi in many more ways.

The human scent kept reminding me of blood—but I had already fed on a human man not much older than me in the alley this evening. He had brown hair, big eyes, and warm skin... I knew exactly why I chose him.

Tony was asleep soundly upstairs, as Anya had dutifully reported before I attended this gathering. Exhaustion had probably overwhelmed him, so it was good he had finally succumbed to rest.

And soon, he will come to me.

"The mansion blueprint will be delivered within a week, master." A balding man who looked the most cunning of the lot bowed respectfully. There was no trace of apprehension in him of being inside a room full of Strigoi who wanted nothing more but to drink them dry. But the others were sweating like pigs and shaking faintly, which was not noticeable to human senses.

Markus waved one lazy hand. "I shall be waiting until then." He dismissed them.

Slowly, they backed off the room and exited. I could hear their heartbeats slow significantly as they stepped into the corridor. I glanced at Markus, and a smirk was playing on his lips. Ah, so he meant to destroy the humans after getting the blueprint he was asking for. He didn't see them fit to be awakened.

Adrianna hissed. "We should have slaughtered them on the spot."

"All in good time," Markus said, "We need the plans of that estate. The mansion is well-protected, with hidden traps and escape corridors. We need to capture as many hunters as possible." 

Many hunters will die in an attempt to protect their charges, but a lot more will be awakened by the time we are through. Only the hunters will be spared. Everyone else perishes.

He addressed me then. "What do you think, Harry? Keep or kill them?"

"Kill them," I said curtly.

He laughed mirthlessly, a lost sign of his old amusement. Adrianna shot me a baleful glance, no doubt resenting Markus' favoring me over her. I kept my face expressionless.

"You may go, Adrianna," Markus said. "Harry and I have something more to talk about."

The resentment was replaced with unabashed satisfaction on Adrianna's face. So I knew this was about Tony. With a leer, Adrianna stepped out and closed the door behind her. I walked from Markus' right to stand in front of her. I was careful to show my submission, although every fiber of my new being detested being dominated by another.